Sunday, just before closing, Leonard invited me to the barbecue he and Sheila were having. It was being held on the beach behind Sheila’s place. I accepted the invitation and, once everything was closed down for the night, I headed over there.
It turned out to be a fairly big event, with a lot of familiar faces in the crowd. I spied Leonard and Murphy talking off to one side. I was pleased that Murphy had that outlet.
“You like him, don’t you?” Maury said in my ear.
I turned to face him. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve caught you staring at him from time to time. I heard he’s a veteran, like Leonard.”
“Yeah, they were in the army together, but had lost touch.”
Maury sipped his beer. “So is he staying in town?”
“Dunno. Bertha offered him a job. He’s used to moving around, so who knows?”
“
